Xiao Yu’s eyes sparkled faintly. What did he mean by that? What did he mean by saying she understood what he was talking about?
He had made himself quite clear, and of course, she understood. Was he not just telling her about his position in the court?
"I am the Leisure Prince. Once my elder brother, the Crown Prince, ascends the throne, I will also go to my fief. What do you think about making Port Town part of my fief?"
Xiao Yu chuckled awkwardly as she looked at him, always feeling as though his words carried a hidden message. Yet, she also felt she might be overthinking it because she was just a fisherman, and how could he possibly have any interest in her?
"What skincare products are you planning to sell upstairs? Bring them here for me to take a look!"
Yan Qing noticed her expression had stiffened somewhat, so he stopped pursuing the topic which was making her uncomfortable and instead mentioned "Fisherman Skincare." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel-fire.net
Xiao Yu was certain she hadn’t given away any hints about her skincare products while she was on the island. So, when Yan Qing asked for them, she hurriedly brought out a dozen bottles from her room, wrapped in a cloth, and handed them to him.
"These I’ll give to you. The instructions are on the paper slip, you can find out how to use them yourself."
Yan Qing opened each bottle one by one, curiously squinting into the small bottles, and after examining them closely, he also took a careful sniff, feeling as though he had smelled these scents before on the island.
"Did you make all of these?"
Xiao Yu did not answer directly: "If you find them effective, come back to me, and we can discuss a business partnership."
"Partnership? Partner in what? Selling these?"
"Yes, with Prince Qing presiding, I’d feel safer knowing no one would dare tamper with my products to trap me. As you’ve seen, my packaging can only be so good. If someone were to add something to these and then claim they bought it from me, falsely accusing me of extortion, what would I do? That’s why I need to find myself some backing."
The word "backing" pleased someone for some reason. He fiddled with the bottle in his hand, carefully examining the writing and the instructions, and asked with curiosity.
"The writing on this paper slip... it’s too neat, isn’t it? And this paper, how come I’ve never seen it before? How do you manage that?"
Xiao Yu was afraid he would ask this, and she said awkwardly: "That... Well, I’ll tell you after we’ve started our partnership!"
Yan Qing gave her a deep look and couldn’t help chuckling: "Give you a bit of sunlight, and you shine brilliantly."
Xiao Yu was at a loss for words: "You actually... remember that phrase?" Those were the words she had used to scold him back on the island. She hadn’t expected him to use them against her today.
"You’re eighteen this year, aren’t you?"
"Yes, eighteen. I’ll turn nineteen after the new year—time really flies."
"Not so young anymore, eh? Haven’t you thought about finding someone to marry?"
"How can I think of marriage when my younger brother is still missing? I’ll consider it once I meet my brother. Besides, I’m doing fine on my own right now, so why marry? After marriage, I’m not free anymore and have to serve someone. If possible, I’d rather not marry at all."
"What silly talk for a girl of your family! Is there any girl who doesn’t marry? What kind of man do you want to wed?"
"A simple man, with no troublesome relatives—ideally someone who is alone in the world, honest and upright, and who can lead a stable life with me. I’m not seeking wealth or power, just kindness and consideration, and someone who treats me well."
Yan Qing listened attentively and finally couldn’t resist remarking: "Your standards are not that high."
"Exactly. I’m just an unsophisticated fisherman with unremarkable looks, so on what grounds should I demand an outstanding man? Besides, even if I met someone truly exceptional, would I dare to marry him? Who knows what he might be after? At the end of the day, I do own some land and a house, right?"
His response to her last statement betrayed amusement tinged with laughter: "Ha, you certainly have confidence, but you’re not wrong either! Nothing faulty about that statement."
"Right? That’s what I think too. I can’t guarantee much, but I do have culinary skills to boast of. Look, even you, Prince Qing, have been won over by my craft."